How Do Horses Sleep? Learn Their Sleeping Habits

Sleeping Positions Explained

Claiming that horses sleep with their feet on the ground is only part of the riddle. We will explain both sleep phases equines experience daily to get enough rest.

1. Standing Up

Like humans, horses experience different sleeping cycles. The first type involves napping, often referred to as Slow Wave Sleep. The second type is REM sleep or Rapid Eye Movement. In this phase, horses can dream, and waking up takes longer.

Slow Wave Sleep happens while the horse is standing. Thanks to the unique skeletal system that we’ve discussed above, horses can hold themselves upright without burdening the muscles.

2. Laying Down

No horse can achieve deep sleep when standing since the body must remain entirely relaxed. That’s why the stay apparatus can’t provide enough relaxation and is only a part of the process. Moreover, in REM sleep, horses lose muscle function control.

Also, it’s not uncommon for equines to move and jerk awake while sleeping. Most owners agree that horses typically sleep best after midnight and when it’s complete darkness.

The reason why REM sleep happens in brief 20-minute bursts is due to equine anatomy. As a result of their size, blood flow can’t reach all vital organs if the horse is lying down. Hence, a healthy horse can’t remain flat for over 45 minutes. It must get up, stretch, and take another round of sleep later.

3. Sleeping Habits

In hot weather, horses prefer to lie down and bask in the sun. So, it might appear as if they are lazy when it’s scorching outside. Watching horses take frequent naps under shady areas isn’t a rare sight either. In snowy and windy conditions, horses spend fewer hours lying down.

You can often spot that a couple of horses remain standing while the herd is resting. This natural behavior has roots in the past. A few horses always had to stay alert to guard the others against predators in the wild.